If you're looking for something artsy and independent, The 30th of Baydak opens today at the Buntport Theater. It's an original tale of a quiet, unassuming worker in modern-day Turkmenistan who is trying to create something meaningful in his life. Tickets for this dark comedy, which runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. through June 15, are $10 for students and seniors and $12 for adults -- but opening-weekend theater-goers can take $2 off the price. Call the Buntport box office, 717 Lipan Street, at 720-946-1388.
Friday, May 16
Everything's coming up roses, or at least blooming sunflowers, in Tracy Weil's latest Denver installation, New Paintings by Tracy Weil. Weil will be on hand to showcase his whimsical nature-based works at Zip 37 Gallery, 3644 Navajo Street. He'll unveil them at a reception tonight from 7 to 10; the show runs through the end of the month. Contact the gallery at 303-477-4525 for more information.
Peeping foodies: If your TIVO is programmed to record the frenetic culinary battles of the Food Network's Iron Chef, you're going to love Kitchens on Fire, a tour of seven fabulous Boulder kitchens that benefits the Dairy Center for the Arts. Today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Kitchens on Fire highlights a wide variety of kitchen gadgets and decors -- everything from a cottage kitchen with Shaker-style cabinetry to a contemporary cooking space with granite counters and stainless-steel appliances. Chefs, interior designers, home remodelers and even regular folks can pick up the $15 tickets and maps to the self-guided tour at the Dairy, 2590 Walnut Street; Thurston Kitchen and Bath, 5785 Arapahoe Avenue; or HW Home, 1941 Pearl Street, all in Boulder. Call the Dairy Center at 303-440-7826, ext. 103, for info.
These boots were made for walkin': Downtown Longmont will be rocking tonight with the kickoff of the 2003 Longmont ArtWalk season. Over twenty art exhibitions, live music, an ArtTent full of kids' activities, Shakespeare performances by the Longmont Theatre Company, local dance troupes and more are designed to incorporate the evening's "Global Rhythms" theme. Food vendors and a silent auction will also be available from 6 to 9 at various locations up and down Main Street. And if you miss the Longmont ArtWalk this time, the free event will take place again on July 18 and September 19. For details, call 303-678-8417.
Saturday, May 17
While many Americans may still be eating "freedom fries," the Botanica & Casalta store in Niwot is celebrating one of Europe's fine summertime traditions -- open-air markets -- with its Essence de Provence weekend. Held today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Botanica's courtyard, Essence de Provence will feature imported French oils, bath and body products, and crafts by twenty local artisans, including pastels, pottery, art glass and candles. Grab a bistro table and a tasty plate of assorted cheeses, fresh breads, chocolates and wines, and settle in for an afternoon of live jazz and bluegrass. Call 303-652-2755 for more information; Botanica is at 136 2nd Avenue in Niwot. Vive la France!
While you've got Europe on the brain, drive on over to Automezzi XIII: A Celebration of Italian Motoring. At the thirteenth annual display of Italian elegance, more than a hundred vehicles will be available for close inspection -- everything from the super-sleek Ferraris and Maseratis to the classic, carefree Vespa. They'll be parked on the west lawn of Arapahoe Community College, 2500 West College Drive, Littleton. Admission is $3, kids under twelve are free, and proceeds benefit the Aurora Mental Health Center. For more information, call 303-722-5683 or visit www.automezzicolorado.org.
Even urban cowboys get the blues: Andy Friedman, a New York-based author, illustrator, cartoonist and oil painter, swings into town today with his latest performance tour, Future Blues. The multimedia extravaganza incorporates Polaroid photographs, evocative writings and traditional country, blues and folk songs. Friedman appears tonight at 8 at the Denver Research Group, 1808 Gaylord Street; admission is $5. Check out www.citysalvagerecords.com for more artist information.
Sunday, May 18
Music lovers across the nation listen to e-town on public radio, but it's taped in our own back yard, so why not head to Boulder tonight for e-town at Home? E-town's mission is to create a strong community awareness of social and environmental issues through music and conversation.Tonight's show will include live performances by acoustic-blues guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps and roots rocker Peter Case; it will be recorded at 7 at the Boulder Theater, 2034 14th Street in Boulder. Tickets are $13 and can be purchased at the theater box office, local Whole Foods Markets or Twist & Shout Records in Denver. Visit www.etown.org or call 303-786-7030 for more.
Give peace a chance today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the Potters for Peace Annual Benefit Sale on the Clayton College Campus, 3801 Martin Luther King Boulevard. A non-profit network of more than 1,200 artisans founded in 1986, Potters for Peace provides assistance to developing countries including Nicaragua, Haiti, El Salvador, Cambodia and, most recently, Burma, through profits from pottery sales. Today's event will showcase clay works by Colorado craftsmen, as well as pottery, handmade dolls and ceramic jewelry by artisans from Nicaragua. For more information, call 303-377-7998.
Monday, May 19
From Dr. Strangelove to Lolita, few directors have inspired as much controversy as the late, great Stanley Kubrick. The Boulder Public Library Film Program is paying tribute to the man behind the camera, who died of a heart attack in 1999, with its ongoing Stanley Kubrick Retrospective. The film program will present weekly screenings of Kubrick's creative works, Monday nights through mid-July. Tonight's title is Paths of Glory, a 1957 World War I drama starring Kirk Douglas. The series is free and will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Boulevard; upcoming titles include The Shining, Spartacus and A Clockwork Orange. Call 303-441-3100 or visit www.boulder.lib.co.us/films for further information.
Tuesday, May 20
While combat in Iraq might officially be over, patriotism is still flying high here at home. With that theme in mind, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, daughter of former president John F. Kennedy, will sign copies of her latest literary collection, A Patriot¹s Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love, tonight at 7:30 at the Tattered Cover LoDo, 1628 16th Street. The wide-ranging anthology includes such historical documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the happy-go-lucky words to "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and the dissident voices of Henry David Thoreau, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Free tickets for the signing are available beginning at 6:30 p.m. Call 303-436-1070 for details.
Wednesday, May 21
Ten years ago this week, the nation watched in shock as the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, burned to the ground. Controversy still swirls around the ATF raid and ensuing standoff, and tonight the Independent Filmmaker's Showcase will feature a full-length documentary on that fateful day, Waco: A New Revelation. Filmmakers Mike McNulty and Jason Van Vleet will discuss their cinematic endeavor, which is narrated by former FBI special agent Dr. Frederic Whitehurst. The film will be screened at 7 p.m. at the Rialto Theater, 228 East Fourth Street in Loveland. Brad Borst, a former Branch Davidian, will answer questions following the screening. Tickets are $5; call the box office at 1-970-962-2120 for information.
